Gas burner



Jan. 15, 1929.

F. w. SHUELL T AL GAS BURNER Filed March 1. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet ljwuemfoz jaw/r )7 5/71/62) [22770 E. Lea 662%? Jan. 15, 1929.

F. w. SHUELL ET AL GAS BURNER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1926luvemtoz Ja/dr "73/71/622 EZWEY f. La bcfziw 6cm mu Patented Jan. 15,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. SHUELL AND ELMER E. LEDBETTER, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TOEVERHOT HEATER COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

GAS BURNER.

Application filed March 1, 1926. Serial No. 91,596.

The .invention relatesto gas burners and more particularly to aconstruction designed for use with normal gas pressures ranging indifferent localities from two or three inches of water to as much asthirty inchesand adapted for thermostatic control, whereby the flame maybe .turned up or down to regulate the flow of gas from theminimumrequired for a pilot light, to the maximum for heating effect.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a burner constructionof the above type which is quiet in operation atv all demands avoidingthe noises that have heretofore been associated with such burners.Another object is to provide a construction capable of being used eitherwith manufactured or natural gas at the pressures found in variouslocalities without danger of extinguishing the flame. A further objectis to shorten and spread the flame so that complete combustion can beeffected in a shorter space, thereby enabling the burner to be setcloser to the device to be heated.

Our burner is particularly adapted for use in connection with a waterheating apparatus of the type which always has a supply of hot wateravailable for use, the burner being controlled thermostaticallyaccording to the demand. In the present state of the art it is commontodirect the mixture from two or more burner tubes toward each other toheard at a considerable distance from the burner. Our improvedconstruction has all the advantages of the impinging type of burner andhas further advantage of a practically noiseless operation, morecomplete combustion and shortening of ,the space required for combustionIn general, our burner comprises one or more mixing tubes of a modifiedBunsen burner type capable of being operated both as a pilot light andas a powerful burner and being so constructed that if the flame burnswithinthe tube at low demands, it will be expelled outward at, higherdemands. Spaced from each mixing tube and in alignment therewith is asolid baflle, preferably metallic, againstwhich the gases strike and aredeflectedand spread, thus exposing a larger surface to the air. Thebafie is prefoutlet of the mixing ,tube is preferably made as short aspossible consistent with the securing of proper combustion of the gases.

When our burner is used with manufactured gas which has a relativelyhigh rate of flame propagatlon, ,the gases will ordinarily burnthroughout the entire distance between the outlet of the mixing tube andthe baflle even when the burner is operating under maximum demand, butwhen the burner is used with natural gas having a lower rate of flamepropagation, the gases will at certain stages burn at the baflle'only.If the mixing tubes were not provided with bafllesand the burneroperated with natural gas, there would be a danger of the flame beinglifted off to the point of extinguishment. Ifon the other hand theburner tube were placed so close to the surface to be heated as .toprevent the lifting of the flame then the flame would result in thedeposition of carbon upon the heating surface due tothe flame striking arelatively cold surface. Our construction therefore insures themaintenance of the flame when operating with natural gas and at the sametime shortens the space required for combustion and eliminates alldanger of carbon deposits.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a hot water heaterembodying our invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of the burner, Figure 3is a transverse section on ,the line 33\of the Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified construction. I

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the valves of Figure 1.

Referring now more specifically to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in'.

Figures 1 to 4, A is the hot water tank, B the gas supply conduit, C thethermostatically controlled throttle valve for the gas supply and D theimproved burner. The

106 jacket E spaced from the sides of t burner. This jacket is continueddownwardly below the bottom of the tank A forming a combustion chamber Fand the burner- D is arranged in the combustion chamber centrally belowthe tank A and spaced from the same.

The burner comprises a central head Gr having a threaded inlet openingG, adapted to be attached to the end of the gas supply conduit B. Theupper portion of the head is preferably polygonal in shape, each sidebeing provided with a threaded aperture H, for recelvlng acorrespondlngly threaded burner tube I. Each of the burner tubes extendradially outward from the burner head and while any desired number oftubes may be employed, the construction as specificallyillustrated isprovided with four tubes arranged 90 apart. Each .burner is constructedwith a central calibrated gas orifice J and with one or more air inletapertures K extending through the cylindrical walls of the tube on thedischarge side of the gasorifice J. The gas and air inlet orifices areso proportioned that under maximum supply only a portion of the oxygenrequired for complete combustion is co-mingled with the gas in the tube.This has the effect of making an over-rich gas mixture soon as thevelocity is increased to beyond the speed of flame propagation the flamewill pass outward and burn entirely-outside of the burner tube.

L represents the baflie member which is sleeved upon the lower portionof the burner head G and secured-thereto by suitable means, such as aset screw'L. This bafiie has the radially; extending-arms M arrangedbelow ea ch of the burner tubes I and as shown the arms are all part-ofa single integral casting. .At theouter end of each arm the bafiie iscurved upwardly as indicated at N crossing the-path {Ofthe gases issuingfrom theadjacent burner-tube. The portion N is preferably. gradually.curved from a direction parallel to the burner tube,

to a-direction transverse thereto, thus progular shape, arrangeddirectly below the outlet of the burner tube in. order to facilividing asmooth deflecting surface against -which the burning ases impinge. Eachof the arms M is pre rably provided-with a cutaway portionO ofsubstantially triantate the mixture of air with the burner gases and toprevent accumulations of foreign matter .around the outlets of burnertubes.

The arms N are also preferably constructed with r'elatiyely thin wallswhich are re-inforced by a series of ribs P to insure ade quate strengthof the casting.

In order that the gas burner as above described may be used in variouslocalities where the gas available for heating purposes is suppliedunder varying pressures, each burner head G is provided with a removableplug Q having a calibrated orifice Q therein, adapted to supply all ofthe gas for the several burner tubes. A series of ex changeable plugs isprovided having orifices of different calibrations so that in anyparticular locality the burner head may be fitted with the one whichwill insure a certain predetermined pressure within the burner head.Thus the burner tubes I may be con-- structed to have the gas and airorifices J and K respectively, proportioned to give the desired mixturewith a predetermined gas pressureand this pressure may, be secured inthe burner head regardless of the pressure commercially obtainable in aparticular locality by the selection of the proper calibrated plug Q. I

The position of the calibrated plug in the supply line is not of greatimportance as far as the functioning of the burner is concerned, exceptthat it must not be too close to the burner tubes, as in that event thedischarge through the calibrated orifice causes turbulence interferingwith the proper distribution of the. gas into the burner tubes andincreasing the noise of operation. Therefore in the construction 'asillustrated in Figure 3 the burner head G is of suflicient length sothat when theplug Q is in position it will be spaced far enough from theburner tubes to prevent turbulence andnoise. However, the regulatingorifice may conveniently be placed further from the burner head withequally good results and in Figure 1 the supply pipe -B is provided withthe calibrated orifice W in the shut off valve W, the latter beinglocated on the inlet side of thethrottling valve C. The use of thecalibrated plug in either position is of particular value in burnersoperating on natural gas, for by reducing the pressure before enteringthe burner tubes the noise of theburner is greatly reduced.

In the operation of the burner as above described the mixture formed inthe various burner tubes emerges from the burner head in a radialdirection, but the flames are all deflected upwardl by the curvedbaflles N,

so as to be directe against the bottom of the water tank A. Such aconstruction results in obtaining the advantages heretofore mentionedand is a marked improvement over I burnerconstructions heretoforeemployed in hot waterheaters.

. In the modification as illustrated in Y Figure 5, the burner comprisesthe parallel suitably connected to the burner and as shown there are theconnecting bars I and T arranged parallel to the tubes R and Rrespectively, and supported by a cross bar U, which in turn is mountedon a vertical rod U rising from a cross bracket U The bar U ispreferably threaded to provide for a vertical adjustment of the bafiles'S, with respect to the burner tubes. Q

With themodifiedarrangement as above described, the gases from theburner tubes impinge directly upon the baffles S and are tially in acommon lane, a series of baflles each being spaced rom the outlet of onetube and arranged in the path of the issuing mixture, said baffleshaving curved imperforate surfaces extending outwardly and transverselyof said tubes, thereby deflecting the flames'frofii all of said tubes inthe same direction substantially perpendicular to said plane.

2. In a gas burner, the combination with a burner head, having aplurality of radially extending mixing tubes arranged substantially in acommon plane, of a member extending side 0 said plane ,*said memberhaving a series of curved imperforate baflie surfaces These bafiles maybe opposite the respective tubes adapted to deflect the flames therefromin a direction transverse to said plane.

3. In a gas burner, the combination with a burner head, of a series ofmixing tubes extending radially of said head, a series of radiallyprojecting members arranged below said tubes, each member having acurved surface extending across the path of the mixture from thead'acent tube and having a cut-away portion immediately below the outletof said tube.

4. In a gas burner, the combination with a' central gas supply conduit,of a burner head mounted thereon, a series of mixing tubes extendingradially of said head in a horizontal plane, and a member connected to'said burner head below said tubes having imperforate portions crossingthe path of each of said tubes, said crossing portions being spaced fromsaid tubes and being gradually curved from the horizontal to thevertical. l

5. A gas burner comprising a central gas supply head, a pluralit ofburner tubes extending radially outwar from said head, each tubehavinggas and air inlet ports proportioned to produce a rich mixture in saidtube having a low rate of flame pro aation such that said tube will beswept ree from all flame at mixture velocities obtainable under normalgas pressures, a member having a hub secured to said gas supply head,said member having a series of integral bafiles extending radiallyoutward-from said hub each battle being arranged opposite a burner tubeand having a cut-away portion adjacent said tube for introducing air tothe mixture impinging on the baflie, each bafile member having a surfaceextending at an angle to the path of the discharged mixture and of anarea sufiicient to intercept and deflect all of the mixture issuing fromthe 00- operating burner tube .whereby complete combustion of themixture is obtained in a short distance.

' In testimony whereof -we aflix our signatures.

radially of said burner head at one FRANK w. SHUELL.

ELMER E. LEDBEETER.

